Cops: Dad charged with hiding PCP in toddler's pocket

Chicago Police Dept.

Emmanuel Wiggins

Emmanuel Wiggins (Chicago Police Dept.)

Rosemary Regina SobolTribune reporter

After police spotted a 2-year-old girl riding in a SUV without a car seat Monday they pulled it over to discover that the girl was riding on her dad's lap and that he had hidden 26 packages of PCP in her pants' pocket, officials said.

The stop happened 12:45 p.m. in the 1300 block of South Harding Avenue in the North Lawndale neighborhood, as the girl's 24-year-old father, Emmanuel Wiggins, rode in the SUV, police said.

Judge James Brown set bail today for Wiggins at $25,000 after being charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor child endangerment, court records show.

Police said Wiggins, of the 1400 block of South Harding Avenue, was a passenger inside the 1999 black Chevrolet SUV that they pulled over after seeing the toddler sitting on Wiggins’ lap and not property restrained.

After making the stop, they asked Wiggins why the girl wasn't in a car seat and he replied that he and his daughter were getting dropped off around the corner, police said.

While speaking to Wiggins, police smelled a strong chemical odor coming from him that officers believed was PCP, according to a police report. As Wiggins exited the SUV holding the little girl in his arms, police noticed a bulge in her pants, police said.

They checked it and found a clear plastic bag containing 26 tin foil packages that were folded up and contained a leafy substance they learned was laced with PCP, police said.

As Wiggins was being placed into custody he said: “I’m sorry! I know I (expletive) up! Please don’t take my daughter away!’’ according to a police report.

“I got nervous when you guys stopped us and tried to hide it in her clothes,’’ the report quoted him saying.

The toddler was taken to Saint Anthony Hospital so they could make sure the drugs didn’t enter her system, police said. Another relative picked the girl up and police notified the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

DCFS spokesman Dave Clarkin said the agency is investigating the incident. He said there has not been any prior contact with the family.